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Saturday, December 02, 2006

Jobs, rejection letters & interviews......

After firing off about 20 job applications in recent weeks I've begun to get the first round of rejection letters. Obviously I knew they were coming, since most of the jobs I'm applying for I'm not qualified to do, but it's still a pain to get them.

My problem is that I want to be a Teaching Assistant in Primary schools but don't have the qualifications.A lot of TA jobs are at level 2 now which demand some experience.But I don't have the time to get the qualification or the experience, I need a job and money coming in.I could get a job that isn't a Teaching Assistant, but once I do that, how can I manage to take time off to do a college course during the day (most TA courses are during the day) and then more time off to get a placement in a primary school?

However, I did have a nice conversation with the headteacher from one of the schools that saw fit to reject me the other day. He explained that he was looking for someone with specific Special Educational Needs experience (why didn't he put that on the job specs? I wouldn't have wasted my time and his if he had!). But apart from that I had a fantastic CV and should have no problem getting something.

In the meantime I've got a job interview for a lab technician at a York secondary in two weeks time. There's four of us up for interview but I'd be very hopeful that I could get it. Years of experience at a higher level than they actually need, extensive computer work and great references means I'm very confident. It's only for 16 hours a week and if there's 3 other people in York better qualified AND willing to work that few hours for very little money I'd be amazed!Apart from the lack of money, the hours don't bother me that much. It's Tuesday to Friday and would leave me able to sort Molly out without having to resort to an after school club.

But I've also got an application form in at the moment for a dream job - working in a local primary school - 5 minutes in the car down the road. It's an ICT technician - but from the job description it seems they want someone with good computer skills to help in classrooms with the children. Not too much actual network or hardware knowledge needed. Seems ideal.

Unfortunately the interviews for that one (should I get an interview) are two days after the interview for the Lab Technician job in York.It looks likely that I'm going to have to lie through my teeth to the York job about sorting out childcare and delay making a decision on it until after the ICT technician job interview.Problems problems problems.Of course this is assuming two things - I get the Lab Technician job offered to me & I get a bloody interview for the ICT technician job!